Motor-vehicle.



Ne. 657,516; Patented sept. 11, 1900. c. J. COLEMAN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

(Application Bled Oct. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

me Nonms PETERS co. moowmo., wAsHwsmn, n. c.

`UNITED STATES PATENT EEIOE.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNoE, EY MEsNE AssIeN; MENTs, To THE GENERAL AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, OE NEw JERSEY.

M OTO R-VEH lCLE.-1

. SPECIICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 657,516, dated September 11, 1900. Application filed October 27, 1899. Serial No. 734,970. KNO mOdSL) T all wwm may @0W/067%: ism and diagrammatically the arrangement of Be it known that I, CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a the operating electrical circuits, motor, dac. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Similar numerals of reference indicate like Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of parts in the several views.

5 Illinois, have invented certain new and use- Referring to the drawings, 1 represents ay 55 ful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, (Oase part of the seat portion of a motor-vehicle; No. 7;) and I do hereby declare the following 2, the storage battery or other source of electo be a full, clear, and exact description of tric power; 3, the electric motor by which the same, reference being had to the accomthe vehicle is impelled; 4, one of the rear 1o panying drawings, forming a part of this driving-Wheels; 5, the axle of such driving- 6o specification. wheels, and 6 the casing of the equalizing- The present invention relates to that class gear usual to power-driven vehicles. of motor-vehicles in which an electric motor l 7 and 8 represent a pair of coned pulleys affords the propelling power, and more es- ,connected together by a shiftable belt 9 and pecially relates to the manually-actuated constituting the variable connecting gearing 65 mechanism by which the driving mechanism mechanism of the present invention between of the vehicle is regulated and controlled. ,the electric motor 3 and the axle 5 of the The presentimprovementhasforits objects, driving-wheels of the vehicle, and to this end first, to provide a simple and efficient combithe coned pulley 7 will be connected to the zo nation of the current -reversing means and shaft of the motor 3, as shown, while the 7o the speed-regulating means, the connection vconed pulley S will be connected by the pinbeing such that the manually-actuated moviion 10 and gear-wheel 1l with the casing G of able member of the current-reverser is adapt- Vthe equalizing-gear upon the rear or driving ed to operate the speed-regulating means axle 5.

2 5 and in which the electromotive current of the f l2 is the sliding belt-shifter engaging in the 75 electric motor can only be reversed when the usual manner the belt 9 and receiving positorque of the motor is at its minimum; sective motion in either direction from a bellond, to provide in connection with the coactcrank lever 13, that in turn has operative coning current-reversing and speed-regulating nection by link 14 with the lower end or arm 3o mechanisms above described a brake mechof the movable member or lever 15 of the cur- 8o anism and operative connections between thel rent cont-rolling and reversing mechanism, same and they speed-regulating mechanism hereinafted described,in order that the shiftthat is adapted to render such brake meching of such belt in one direction or the other anism active when the torque is the least upon will be in unison with the movement of the the electric motor, and,third,to provide in conmovable member of the current controlling 85 nection with such coacting current-reversing and reversing mechanism. and speed-regulating mechanisms of a vari- 16 is a brake-disk carried by the shaft of able resistance or current-controller coacting the coned pulley 8 and rotating therewith. with the above-mentioned mechanisms and 17 is a secondary brake-disk made non-rota- 4o adapted to vary and control the motor-cirtable in its support, but capable of -longitu- 9o cuit, all as will hereinafter more fully appear dinal movement upon its axis to or from the and be more particularly pointed out in the disk 16 to perform a braking action upon the claims. same or release such disk from such braking In the accompanying drawings, illustrative action. of the present invention, Figure 1vis a frag- 18 is a lever, one end of which is attached 95 mentary bottom plan of the driving mechanto the shaft of the brake-disk 17, while the ism of a motor-vehicle embodying the presother end has operative connection by means ent improvements; Fig. 2, a fragmentary lonof a slotted link 19 with the sliding belt-shifter gitudinal sectional elevation illustrating the 12, the connection being such that the brak- 5o current reversing and controlling mechaning action will only be effected when the belt loo into the motive circuit or to wholly break the same, as usual in this type of electrical appliances.

In cases where an arrangement of batteries is relied upon to afford a variable electronictive 'force or current to the motor such batteries will be connected to said circuit-controllers in the usual well-known manner, so as to be capable of being used in series or in series multiple at the will of the operator, and accordingly the term eurrent-controller in the present description is intended to cover a means for controlling in a variable manner the electromotive force of the electrical circuit of the vehicle-motor, regardless of the particular arrangement and connections of such circuit and regardless of the fac-t that the circuit to the field or to the armature is the circuit which is reversed in effecting al reversal of the motor.

One part of the present invention involves, broadly, the combination of a current-reversing switch and a variable-speed mechanism, enacting together and operating in unison, and in a more-restricted sense involves the combination, with such mechanism, of a eurrent-controlling mechanism, also coactingly connected and operating in unison.

In the attainment of the above results or functions an auxiliary means capable of in- I dependent actuation is attached to the operating-handle of the movable member or lever l5 of the current-controller and having operative link or other equivalent connection with the current-reversingswitch. In the particu lar construction shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, as illustrative of one means of carrying out this part of the present invention, a bellcrank handle or lever 22 is pivoted to the lever l5 near its upper or grip end, so as to be capable of operation by the hand of the operator that manipulates the said current-controller lever 15. y

23 is a link connection extending from the short arm of the lever 22 tothe reversingswitch mechanism to constitute an operative connection between the two. Any other equivalent mechanism for attaining such movement of the link connection 23 may, howevei-,be employed Without departing from the spirit of this part of the present invention.

The current-reversing switch mechanism above referred to may comprise any usual type of reversing mechanism common to the electrical art. Such switch will, however, preferably comprise opposed pairs of insulated contacts 24 25 and 26 27, arranged concentric with the pivot-axis of the operating-lever l5 of the current-controller and moving in unison with said lever as the position of the latter is changed and an oscillating member 28, pivoted on a common axis with that of the operating-lever 15 and adapted to have movement independent of said lever. Such independentlymovable member 28 is provided with a pair of insulated contact pieces or fingers 29 30, adapted to alternately contact with the opposed pairs of insulated contacts 24 25 and 26 27. Such movable member is operatively connected to the link 23, as heretofore described.

Another part of the present invention involves means whereby the variable gearing `connection of the driving-motor will be in that position in which a minimum torque or load is on the motor and preferably with the motive circuit broken before a movement of the current-reversing switch can be effected to attain a reversal of the motor, the purpose heilig to prevent any liability of a burnt ing of the motor-windings due to a reversal of the current with a maximum load or torque g upon the motor.

In the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings for effecting the above result 3l is a laterally-projecting pin or stud on the link connection 23, adapted to engage either the upper or lower surface of the segmental confining-bar 32 to hold the current-reversing mechanism in either of its positions in a positive manner, the construction being such that the locking-stud 31 can only be shifted from the top to the bottom surface of the `confininfg-bar 32 and, vice versa, when the loperating-lever l5 of the current-controller .l is in an open or starting position.

In the present invention the operating-le ver 15 is capable of an additional movement pastv the point at which it breaks current communication with the variable resistance 2l, and in the present improvement the connections are such that such additional movement of the lever l5 is employed to effect the braking action of the driving mechanism heretofore described.

33 is an insulated contact-piece carried by the operating-lever l5 of the current-controller and connected with one pole of the battery.

34 is a fixed segmental contact-plate connected through the field of the motor with the other pole of the battery. Said contactplate 33 and contact-plate 34: are adapted to maintain the current upon the field of the motor at all times except when the currentcontroller has broken the circuit to the armature of the motor, when the circuit to the field will be simultaneously broken and again restablished with the reestablishment of the armature-eircuit.

Having thus fully described my said inven- IOO IIO

esteis J tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a system of electrical propulsion foi motor-vehicles, the combination of a circuitcontroller, a current-reversing switch, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, interme-A diate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, and means capable of independent actuation carried by the movable member of the controller within easy reach of the operators hand and having operative connection with said switch, substantially as set forth.

2. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, the combination of a circuitcontroller,a current-reversing switch, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, means capable of independent actuation carried by the movable member of the controller Within easy reach of the operators hand and having operative connection with said switch, and means for locking said switch against movement except when the controller mechanism is in its starting position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, the combination of a circuitcontroller, a current-reversing switch, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, means capable of independent actuation carried by the movable member of the controller within easy reach of the operators hand, the same comprising a bell-crank handle having operative link connection with the movable member of the reversing-switch, substantially as set forth.

4. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles the combination of a circuitcontroller, a current-reversing switch, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, means capable of independent actuation carried by the movable member of the controller within easy reach of the operators hand and having operative connection with said switch, and means for locking said switch against movement except when the controller mechanism is 'in its starting position, the same comprising a laterally-projecting pin on the switchoperating connection, and a conlining-bar adapted to be engaged by said lateral pin to prevent a shifting of the switch except when the pin is moved out of engz-tgement with said bar, substantially as set forth.

5. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, the combination of a circuitcontroller, a current-reversing switch, comprising a fixed and movable member arranged concentric with the pivot-axis ofl the controller, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, and means capable of independent actuation carried bythe movable member of the controller within easy reach of the operators hand and having operative connection with said switch, substantially as set forth.

6. vIn a system of electricalpropulsion for motor-vehicles; the combination of a circuitcontroller, a current-reversing switch comprising a fixed and movable member arranged concentric with the pivot-axis of the controller, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, means capable of independent actuation carried by the movable member of the controller within easy reach of the operators hand and having operative connection with said switch, and means for locking said switch against movement except when the controller mechanism is in its starting position, substantially as set forth.

7. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, the combination of a circuitcontroller, a current-reversing switch comprisingaixed and movable member arranged concentric with the pivot-axis of the controller, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, means capable of independent actuation carried by the movable member of the controller within easy reach of the operators hand andhaving operative connection with said switch, and means for locking said switch against movement except when the controller mechanism is in its starting position, the same comprising a laterally-'projecting pin on the switchoperating connection, and a confining-bar adapted to be engaged by said lateral pin to prevent a shifting of the switch except when the pin is moved out of engagement with said bar, substantially as set forth.

8. In a system of electrical propulsion for IOO IIO

motor-vehicles, the combination of a currenty reversing switch, means for actuating the same, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the switch, and al brake mechanism having intermittent operative connection with the variable-speed mechanism, substantially as set forth.

9. In a syste-m of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, the combination of a circuitcontroller, a current-reversing switch, a motor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connectionsbetween the same and the actuating means of the controller, and a brake mechanism receiving motion from the movable member of the current-controller, and adapted to be actively operated by a continued movement of such movable member past the point Where it effects an interruption of the motorcircuit,substantially as set forth.

lO'. Ina system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, the combination of a circuittor, a variable-speed mechanism, intermediate connections between the same and the actuating means of the controller, a brake mechanism receiving motion from the movable member of the eurrent-controller 'and adapted to be actively operated by a continued movement of such movable member past the point where it effects an interruption of the motor-circuit, and means for insuring the return of the movable member to its starting-point .before a reversal oft' the motive eur'- 1o rent can be eected, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Witness my hand this 6th day of September, 1899.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN.

In presence of-;

ROBERT BURNS, H. A. Norr. 

